Longreach…………….. Days 103 and 104

July 6 and 7th.

16 weeks since we left home today, 6 July. - Today we packed up at our bush camp at Isisford and drove to Longreach. We had been camping at Oma Waterhole some 11 kms out of town on the banks of the Barcoo river. The owner of the station often drives along the banks of the river just to see how many caravans are camping there.

Saturday was a fishing day. A lot of effort was put in with about 6 rods out and 4 nets in case there were any yabbies. Bill caught a sized fish we think was a “Grunter” and later a “Yellow Belly” was caught. Sadly we only had enough fish for a taste at happy hour.

 

I got up early yesterday morning to take Kurgan for a walk and saw this sunrise. Coming back towards our caravan I saw a cow walk through our camping area then under John’s rope tied to his awning to eat a piece of grass at the end of his caravan. By the time I got the camera ready, she was gone.

As we left Isisford, we saw the large notice board listing whether roads were open, closed etc. we noticed the road between Isisford and Longreach had a sign “Caution” showing. Once we got under way we knew why.

This road is a single lane road with the edges of the bitumen crumbling from cattle trucks and other traffic. When vehicles were coming towards us, we had to try to move onto the gravel shoulder or the other vehicle had to move over or stop. As well the road was bumpy and a few things were thrown around in the caravan.

Poor Kurgan was unable to get a decent sleep in the car today and when we got to Longreach and had settled in, Lance & I decided to have a nano nap. Kurgan came onto my bed and went into a deep sleep. We got up half an hour later to empty the toilet in the caravan, he was still asleep. We started the car but he was still sleeping. I looked and thought he had died for a minute and had to shake him hard to wake him up. Poor dog was exhausted.

The bird life out here is plentiful. We see a lot of hawks due to the dead kangaroos on the roads, but rarer are the Bush turkeys, two of which I saw today and managed to get a photo. Just further down the road were two smaller ones.

Bush Turkey……………

………….and a Hawk…….

….and a smaller bird that came with his friends looking for what food we had dropped.

By 3pm Sunday my blood nose had returned and when I woke today, Monday morning, it was still bleeding. So while Denise, John, Leanne and Bill spent the day looking at the Qantas Museum and touring planes, Lance took me to the hospital. 3 hours later my bleeding nose had been cauterized and hopefully no more blood noses. The hospital and staff were great, friendly and efficient. Thanks go to Longreach Hospital.